Stair well discussions

My favorite part of every day is when my group of nine 11-12 year old girls close their homework books and head to the stair well, the only spot left to find some quietness to open the bible and learn more about the gospel together. Often they take forever to settle into their “spots” along the stairs, pull out their little note books, pick the right color of pen they want to use and quiet down to a point we were can get started. It is common for me in these times to grow impatient as I want to hurry things along and actually get start but recently I have had to check myself and stop and enjoy these moments of my little girls wanting everything to be perfect before we get started, so what if it’s a few minutes later then I planned. As the finally get all settled their eyes are look down at me sitting at the base of the stairs, eagerly waiting to see what it is we are going to talk about today. As their eyes peer readily at me I am struck with a sense of awe at the amazing position God has enabled me to be in. How is it that I get to be the one to present to these young girls the truth of the gospel, then in the next moment this sense of fear comes over me at the lack of knowledge and ability I have to be able to accomplish this task. How can I ever clearly convey the gospel to them? 

But the beauty in this is that I can never clearly perfectly convey it to them there is nothing in myself that has the ability to even get the point across it is all because of the grace God shows to be able to share just a bit of what He has done in my own life and point them to the living word. I am reminded of 1 Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen”. It is only by the ability and words given by God that I am able to sit before them and to share with them the gospel that changed my life. It is extraordinary the way that God is willing to use me, weak and sinful and yet by the grace of God He chooses and enables me to be a part of His story and spreading His love to others.

As we leave the stair well at the end of our discussion I check the time and 9 times out of 10 discover that once again we have gone way over our 20 minutes of bible study time. So many days after the bible study is over we stay in the stair well, missing out on free time and games just sitting and talking about the bible. They never run out of questions, good solid and often hard questions but what a joy it is for me to be able to spend so much time talking of the thing I love the most with these girls who I love so much

Please pray for my group of young girls as we continue to dive into the bible to discuss and learn about what He has done for us if only we accept. Please pray that they would not only learn the facts about the gospel but that it would go far beyond and much deeper than just head knowledge. Also pray that God would continue to enable me to be able to speak the truth not in my own strength or wisdom but in His.